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Inside an electric car

9 November 2015

Imagine never having to fuel up at a petrol station again. Well those days could be closer than we think. You now have the option of a pure battery electric car that can charge in your driveway while you sleep.

If you’re already feeling the pinch of petrol costs in your family budget, you’d be right. The cost of fuel is actually the highest ongoing cost with owning a car.1 So it’s nice to know that battery electric cars actually have the lowest fuel cost per kilometre of all engine types.

Origin’s National Business manager Emerging Opportunities, Geoff Mewing, explains that “charging is much cheaper than using diesel or petrol fuels. It could cost you $4-5 to travel 150km.”2

Electric cars, or EVs as they're known, are economical to run, but you might be wondering how far you can you actually travel on a single charge? The distance that an electric car can travel before needing to re-charge is dependent on a few factors, including battery size, driving style and road conditions, but 100kms should be achievable for most models.

If you live in a city, you probably drive around 50-70kms on a daily basis, so the typical range of a single charge on an electric car is well within this average daily commute.

“People are starting to realise that EVs provide a greener transport future” says Geoff. For example, if you have 100% GreenPower as part of your electricity plan, then you can recharge your electric car with electricity that’s offset with renewable energy, which makes running an electric car even greener. And with no tailpipe emissions, “it’s an absolute change in the way we transport ourselves” says Geoff.

The price of electric cars can be slightly higher upfront,3 but, as Geoff explains, a “big advantage of taking up electric cars in the future will be declining prices as we see more models coming out, the technology improving and the price of batteries coming down”.

We’re partnering with car manufacturers, such as Nissan and Mitsubishi, and we’re really excited that they’re starting to produce electric cars as part of their fleet.

Watch this quick video to hear more from Geoff and find out just how electric cars work.

Take a look inside the world of electric cars

Mitsubishi and Origin - working together

Mitsubishi President and CEO Mr Mutsuhiro Oshikiri and National PHEV Sales Manager Craig Norris, spoke to us about their passion for electric vehicles.